


Sophia Wasn't His

by eaglegrad16



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-19
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:28:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21814429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eaglegrad16/pseuds/eaglegrad16
Summary: This story has been revised for content since I first composed it a few years ago. But good writing is better than mediocre writing 😊I fell in love with this scene from season 2. Carol visiting Daryl’s campsite, following Sophia’s death. So much, that I got inspired to expound on the event by adding some sexual tension between this beloved longtime Ship.Lori Grimes has gone missing. In search of her husband who went out to look for Hershel. Carol finds out Daryl was the last one to have words with her missing friend and pays him a visit.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier
Kudos: 12





	Sophia Wasn't His

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters nor the title series.

Lori was missing. Carol noticed this after the others gathered around the Greene dining table for the evening’s supper. Dusk was setting in, and the group was getting worried as Rick and Glenn had not returned with Hershel who’d gone to town, to drown his sorrows in whiskey over the barn incident.

“They should have been back by now”. Andrea said as they all took seats around the table. “I’m sure he’s probably just holed up somewhere, knowin’ Rick”. Shane said, with slight concern in his tone. “We can head out, first thing in the morning”. He looked loosely at T-Dog, who slid his chair up to the table.

Carol came around with a basket of biscuits and handed one to Shane, as he grabbed a napkin and laid it over his lap. “Carl, I want you to keep your head about you right now. You know that old man of yours…he’s one tough sonofa—”

“There’s no cussin’ in this house”. Patricia sharply interrupted Shane as she dished out some mashed potatoes for Dale. Shane nodded at her politely. Carol went to the darkened doorway that connected to the living room. “Lori…dinner”.

“She’s not in there,” Maggie said, as Carol looked at the young woman questioningly.

“Where is she?” Dale asked the young woman, as though she was Lori’s keeper. Maggie merely turned her head around at the sea of faces, who looked at her like she had all the answers. 

Everyone then turned their attentions to Carl seated across the table next to T-Dog, expecting the boy to answer up about his mom’s whereabouts. But the boy only eyed Carol and Shane back with a ‘don’t ask me, I don’t know’ look, and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
Shane hunched over the table on his elbows, at the boy. “Carl, when’s the last time you saw your mom?”

Carl looked at the man who’d been his surrogate father. “This afternoon”.

“She was worried about Rick, asked me to look in on Carl”. Andrea piped up concerned.

“So then, she just took off on her own—” Dale started, as Andrea cut him off. “I didn’t say that”.

But Shane wasn’t having it. First, they lost Sophia, after days of searching for the little girl, and then discovered her a damned walker. Now Rick was off, in search of an old man, trying to play hero... “Well, that just be all now! Rick leavin’ all half-cocked like that. ‘n she goes out on the road, lookin’ for ‘m.” Shane set his napkin on the table. “Where’s Daryl at?” He snarked rhetorically, knowing full well the answer. The redneck was out scouring the woods somewhere, looking for game, or burrowed away at his campsite (where he could stay, as far as the ex-cop was concerned)

Carol quietly slipped out the front door, unnoticed, and into the looming darkness, toward Daryl's private campsite, in the clearing, behind the old barn.

xxx

Daryl sat on a log, brooding over a long exhausting day of headache and disappointment. as he tended his fire. Attempting to settle his mind over what’d happened the past two days at the swamp, and then the barn, but not making headway.

He’d failed in a big way. Not just in losing Merle… but now Sophia. Falsely encouraging Carol that her young daughter was still alive out there, somewhere, scared and hiding, when he knew truthfully that Sophia had simply disappeared without a trace. And he’d wasted all that damned time going out, looking for the kid. Knowing damned well she was long gone. No matter how honorable his good intentions were.

Honestly, how in the hellfire could a kid of twelve run off so damned far, and leave no trail? It made no sense! If a walker had picked her up, after Rick told her to go back to the highway, she sure as hell didn’t scream or nothin’!

Ah--to hell with it. It wasn’t worth the heartache anymore. Carol had been right. Her daughter hadn’t suffered or gone hungry. The kid’d just up 'n disappeared and was just gone.

“There you are…I’ve been looking everywhere for you”, a female voice suddenly interrupted his brooding thoughts. “Lori has gone missing. Do you know anything about that?” Carol continued hastily, as she approached his backside.

Daryl’s mouth barely twitched a response as he tossed a handful of twigs into the fire. She then moved around to his side. But he ignored her and grabbed a small log from the ground and tossed it on top of the flames, and then wiped his brow.

"Daryl?" She said at him louder, in spite knowing that he’d heard her the first time. "Daryl Dixon, I know you can hear me!" He slightly craned his chin her way, and then back at his fire. He was being rude but didn't give a damn. It wasn't his job to give a shit anymore, She needed to take that hint and turn back around.

"Daryl Dixon, please answer someone when they're addressing you!"

He responded by slightly craning his chin back at her again, and saying nothing. Carol felt her nerves rattle. "Lori has gone missing. Do you know anything about it?” He poked a stick at a blazing log. "Nope. Don't care to." Carol stared across from him in disbelief. "What do you mean, 'don't care to?”

Daryl just looked at the blazing fire, as she continued. “According to Dale and Carl, you were the last person to speak to her before she left."

"If she left, it ain't my problem." He said as he jabbed the stick into the dirt. 

"The hell it isn't! Lori just up and left, sometime after the two of you had talked earlier, and you didn't say a thing."

"I ain't her keeper!” Daryl snapped back, feeling annoyed at this intrusion. “Where she went ain't none of my business."

"Yes, it is, Daryl!" Carol responded heated, as her nerves ran thin. "You're involved whether you want to be or not. Where did she go? I know you know something!"

"I don't know nothin!" He childishly snapped his response. "If she went out lookin' after that dumbass husband of hers, then let her. She's as dumb a bitch as any of ya."

"Ex… cuse me?" Carol shot back, with her hands on her hips. Feeling her blood start to boil. But Daryl only poked the stick at the blazing fire. "She asked me to go out lookin' after Rick and Glenn after they'd gone into town in search of Hershel, who'd disappeared hours ago. An' I told her I wasn't no one's errand boy." He tossed in a handful of twigs.

"So, you _did_ have words with her…and you didn't say anything!" Carol tersely reminded him, as if he needed 'reminding'.

"Took my nose out of it, and it ain't of my problem no more."

"Yes, it is, Daryl! You have a responsibility here, after talking with Lori earlier.” Carol shot firmly at him. “The two of you had words, and I want to know what happened! Whatever caused her to leave as she did. She's been gone too long, to be okay. And she's _pregnant_ , in case you didn't know!"

But Daryl just stared at the flames in silence, feeling his temper start to churn. He could give a shit about Lori Grimes. ‘Olive Oyl’ was Rick and Shane's problem, not his! Why the hell was _he_ suddenly everyone’s keeper now? They didn’t give two-shits about him—or Merle—back at the camp quarry, and now, he’s the group’s savior? Such bullshit. He didn’t ask for this and didn't want it.

However, the guilt nagged at him, as Carol waited at his side for an answer - like an overbearing mom. Like it was just gonna make Lori and the others magically beam-in before them, and they could all go zipadeedoodah back to the farmhouse. 

Carol now pursed her lips and considered pulling his stubborn ass up by his armpits, if that’s what it took to get him going, no matter what it cost her. But it also hit her that she was no longer dealing with the same caring Daryl who’d gone out of his way to search for her lost daughter because he gave a damn. This was about Lori, whom he cared shit nothing for.

Realizing he wasn’t going to move, she turned on her heels and walked off. Daryl barely turned his head as another wave of guilt pounded at him. Fuck - Just leave me the hell alone. I don’t need this. I don’t want it. I just want my brother back. I want Sophia back… _“You found a doll, Daryl. That’s what you found! A lousy doll. Not the girl herself…”_

Carol got as far as the strung clothesline, and then stopped in her tracks, and turned on a heel, to glance with sadness, across at Daryl’s domed tent, under the moonlight. No, she couldn’t just let this go. Tonight, was too damned important. First, her daughter went missing and turned up dead, and now Lori - who could meet the same fate!. Atop that, Rick, Glenn, and Hershel were also missing. That was just too many people, in what was left of their group. Daryl was going to speak up if it cost her!

She turned back around on her heels, toward the bonfire. "Don't do this!" She pleaded as she approached Daryl. "Don't just sit there like you don't care! I've already lost a daughter. We can't lose another!" And that did it.

Daryl shot up and turned around in her face with a growl that almost knocked her backward. "Yea? And she wasn't my problem neither!" Huffing off angrily as she followed him in a frustrating pursuit.

"Daryl Dixon, this isn't you! You're better than this! Now man-up now and help us out!" 

He stopped abruptly and shoved a stabbing a finger in her face. "Jus' lay off me, woman! I told you I ain't gettin' involved! Lori ain't my damned problem, and neither is her worthless husband!"

"How dare you!” Carol said back fiercely. “Rick's been nothing but good to you this whole time, and you call him worthless?!"

"Yea”. Daryl sneered in her face. “That's what I said. Any man who's gotta dote on idiot Shane for answers, and keep a worthless whore for a wife, deserves the title!"

_Slap!_ Her hand went hard across his face. Daryl just stood there a moment… processing what just happened. She’d fuckin’ hit him. Well, sonofabitch… this mouse who’d barely said ‘boo’ to anyone, just slapped him! Even if he deserved it. 

Carol just stood there a moment, also processing. She’d slapped him. Damn, she surprised herself at her boldness - though Daryl had it coming! Never could she strike out like this at Ed – without paying for it big time.

She and Daryl just stood there in stern silence, as Daryl's hand grazed the sting on his cheek.

She turned on her heels to walk away, but a rough hand was suddenly firm about her wrist, and she swung around to meet his tough-guy stare, looming over her.

"Feel better?" His eyes pierced hers challengingly. "Unhand me!" She ordered as she wriggled about his grip. 

He released her and she pulled her hand back angrily.

He almost looked remorseful for a moment. And well, he should. But she couldn't care less. Ed always grabbed her wrist, right before knocking her around, and Daryl should've known better.

"I suppose I had that comin',” Daryl said, rather flatly. “You got balls on you for sure." The corner of his mouth edging up impressed.

But Carol only frowned. "What-none of your girlfriends ever set you straight before? You were rude and out of line, Daryl. And don’t ever grab me like that again!" Before turning and walking off.

As she reached the edge of the clearing, she turned her head sharply back at him. "For your sake, they'd all better make it back tonight!" and disappeared into the moonlit darkness.

Daryl returned to his fire and picked up the branch he’d been using as a stick, and tapped it on a burning log, as his head swarmed with unwanted thoughts.

Shaming thoughts that were slowly churning unwanted _lustful_ thoughts over _her_. Christ…was he losing his mind? Sure she was beautiful, but so what? He had no damned business thinking about such shit when the world had gone to hell, and took an innocent kid.

Part of him now wanted to march out after her, and be like his brother, for one crazy second, and back her against a tree trunk to have his manly way with her. The other part was relieved she was gone, and he could now stew in peace over his anger.


End file.
